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First round of auditions disappointing

Well, I finally got out and did some actual listening over the weekend, and I can see that I have quite an adventure ahead of me.

I listened to the Focal Profile 928, Polk LSi15 and a couple of Martin Logan's (Vista and Vantage). The Focal was by far the worst of the bunch; as a matter of fact, it was downright awful, and at a price of $5K for the pair?????????? Good grief...

The Polk LSi15 was better, but far and away from what I expected, given the good press. I use to own Martin Logan Sequel II's, and liked them for their midrange qualities. The newer Logan's were pretty nice, but far too dead in the dynamics department. Very nice rendition of vocals though, and great soundstage presentation.

The more I listened to the typical box speaker, the more I believe that design won't satisfy me. My wife, who is really not "in" to music, commented to me that the Focal sounded "like a box," so there you have it.

I'll probably have to wait until CES, because there is little in the way of "high end" in my area.
seadweller
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
That's why I mentioned Green Mountain Audio. They do not sound like a box speaker, instead conveying the crack of energized music. A used pair of Continuum 3s would be in your budget range.

Zu Definitions would also meet your requirements, but I doubt that a used pair could be had for $4-5K.

I hear that Pi Loudspeakers are very good. I've not heard them myself.

Finally, if Klipschorns are not an option--they take up no space in the room--you might consider a vintage pair of La Scalas. You will want to do a few modifications to them, which are easy to do. We had a pair mated with an ACI Titan subwoofer, and not one person who heard our system ever knew that we used a sub, the sound was that seamless. Including modifications to the speakers, the entire package would run you around $2200. If mated to the proper amp, you will have the sound you're after.
seadweller OP
55 posts
 
I'm very interested to hear more about the La Scalas. My only fear is that a "vintage" horn system (even though it's offered as a current model) might not provide sufficient detail, although I have read that the midrange in the La Scala is out-of-this-world....

They would certainly work in all but the largest spaces!
amandarae
512 posts
 
I seem to gravitate towards two speaker designs, horn and planar. I loved my Logans and Magnepans, but they lacked punch and dynamics. I loved my Altec 19's, but they were far from being refined. I guess I'm looking for something that might not exist, so I'll have to take some time and determine just what compromises I'm willing to make

Check this out! http://www.linkwitzlab.com/orion_us.htm

I myself is a former Martin Logan and Magnepan owner. The forum is here http://orion.quicksytes.com/index.php?sid=3422d9bb94bbc45cee608cde62d51a19 Raise your question on the board. You will find that many came from the planar magnetic/electrostatic camp like myself.

Disclaimer: I own the Linkwitz Orion.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
My only fear is that a "vintage" horn system (even though it's offered as a current model) might not provide sufficient detail
Insufficient detail was never an issue in our system, in which we had modified 1977 La Scalas. Keep in mind that the speakers won't be the only limiting factor if it's detail you're after. Every other component will have a great deal to say about what comes out of the speaker. You can upgrade the La Scala tweeter if necessary, but if you change crossovers and upgrade your source--not to divert the discussion--I doubt you will feel the need to do so. You will want a speedy sub, however.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Amandarae,

Good suggestion this design will certainly have a good transient response. I can't help but agree with the quote below from the link you gave (it is kind of obvious that Linkwitz is an engineer and not in marketing).

I have no problem, if people enjoy their music more, because it has passed through a certain interconnect, has been transformer balanced, amplified without feedback, processed through a reissued WW2 transmitter tube and sent to their speakers on litz wires of specific arrangement and purity, except that the money for these suggestions could have been spent on better speakers, for real improvements in accuracy of dynamic range and resolution. After all, the loudspeakers are by far the weakest link in the chain of components that are needed for sound reproduction.
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